The Ultimate Ocean Book

A Unique Introduction to the World Under Water In Fabulous, Full-Color Pop-Ups

The book opens, and a giant squid and humpback whale leap off the pages, spilling over the boundaries of the book. The squid is too big to be contained because it is the largest of all invertebrates; the humpback is leaping up or breaching to scoop up fish-rich water. These and many other dramatic pop-ups portray the actions of ocean-dwelling animals in vibrant color. Single paragraph captions describe and explain how and why these animals do what they do. Two-page entries introduce the topics with colorful flair. The writing is compact and direct. In addition to the beautiful pop-ups, there are textures to feel; a scratch-and-sniff pad; and panels that pull open to expand each page. A three-dimensional look into a tide pool is accompanied by a pull-out key to identify the numbered animals and plants, as is a two-page illustration of a coral reef. Lift-up flaps often reveal yet another pop-up or explanatory text, and sometimes even another tab to pull to set some sort of sea creature in motion. Although this might be too fragile for circulation, it is great fun and informative.

—School Library Journal